The Day I Becomes A Highscooler

That was all that surrounded him. A vast, endless abyss with no sound, no light, and no sense of time. He didn’t remember how long he had been here, floating in nothingness. It felt like minutes, hours, maybe even years. At first, he had tried to fight it. He had screamed, tried to move, struggled against the weight of the void. But there was nothing. No response. No escape. Slowly, the fight drained from him, and he accepted that this was his reality—an empty, silent prison where he would remain forever. He had lost his sense of self. There was no pain, no hunger, no exhaustion. Just… nothing. It was as if he had ceased to exist, yet his mind remained, trapped in an eternal, dreamless sleep. Then, something changed. A whisper. Faint, distant, like a breeze brushing against his ear. At first, he thought it was his imagination—just another trick his broken mind was playing on him. But the whisper grew louder, more persistent. It wasn’t just a sound. It was a voice. "Wake up." His mind jolted. The words echoed through the darkness, cutting through the void like a blade. Wake up? Was that even possible? Then came the pain. A sharp, searing sensation ripped through his chest. His lungs burned, his head throbbed, and suddenly, he felt the weight of his body again. He could feel his fingers, his legs—his very existence pressing down on him like a crushing force. The darkness cracked, splitting apart like shattered glass. Then, in a sudden, violent rush— He opened his eyes. Awakening Blinding light flooded his vision. His breath hitched as the world around him slowly came into focus. He gasped, his chest rising and falling as though he had just surfaced from drowning. At first, he thought he was in a hospital. But the ceiling above him wasn’t the sterile white of a medical room. It was vast, infinite, and shimmering like the night sky. Stars flickered, swirling in a pattern he couldn’t comprehend. His body felt strange—light, yet solid. He pushed himself up, his limbs responding with an odd sensation, as if they were both foreign and familiar at the same time. Then, he noticed someone standing beside him. A man—or at least, something that resembled one. He was tall, dressed in flowing silver robes that seemed to shift like liquid light. His face was smooth, ageless, and his eyes burned with an otherworldly glow—piercing yet calm, like they had seen the beginning and end of everything. The figure smiled. "You’ve been sleeping for quite some time, haven’t you?" His throat felt dry, his voice unused for what felt like eternity. He opened his mouth to speak, but only a rasp came out. The man chuckled, raising a hand. A warm sensation washed over him, and suddenly, the dryness in his throat vanished. "Try again," the man said. He swallowed, then forced the words out. "Where… am I?" The figure’s expression remained unreadable. "Somewhere between life and death." A chill ran down his spine. Life and death? Memories rushed back to him. The accident. The impact. The blinding pain. Then… nothing. "How long…?" He hesitated, dreading the answer. The man tilted his head, as if considering. "A long time. Long enough that the world you left behind has changed." His heart clenched. "Then… I survived?" "In a way," the figure said. "Your body still breathes, but your soul has drifted far from it. That’s why I’m here." The man stepped closer, his robes shimmering with celestial light. "I offer you a choice." The Choice His breath caught. A choice? What kind of choice could he possibly have? He had been asleep for so long—what did it matter anymore? The figure’s voice softened. "You’ve spent years in a coma, unable to move, unable to speak. Your life has wasted away in silence. But… what if I told you that you could reclaim those lost years?" His heart pounded. "What do you mean?" The man extended a hand. "I can give you a second chance. A chance to live again, but not in the way you expect." Doubt crept into his mind. Was this real? Could he trust this figure? But deep down, something in him stirred. The thought of waking up, of feeling the sun on his skin, of walking, running, speaking—living. But there was hesitation. "What’s the catch?" The figure smiled knowingly. "You won’t return to your old life. Instead, you will awaken somewhere new, in a place beyond your imagination. A place where you can start over, with knowledge and experience beyond what you once had." A new life? The words echoed in his mind. He had lost everything before the accident—his job, his relationships, his purpose. If he returned, what was there to go back to? Yet… "What if I say no?" he asked. The figure’s gaze darkened slightly. "Then your body will remain in its coma until it eventually fades. You will be lost in that darkness once again, drifting endlessly with no way out." His stomach twisted. He didn’t want to go back to that void. He couldn’t. The man’s hand remained outstretched. "Make your choice." A Decision His mind raced. This was absurd, impossible even. And yet, he could feel the truth in the figure’s words. A second chance. A new life. A way out of this prison. He clenched his fists. "If I accept… what happens next?" The figure’s eyes gleamed. "Then you step forward, and I will guide you to your new beginning." A deep breath. A moment of silence. Then— He reached out and took the man’s hand. The world exploded in light.